Every year, in early spring and summer, people start preparing themselves for that first boating trip of the season. Preparing means more than simply putting gas in the boat for many. They also take this time to ensure their cooler is cleaned out and ready to go because nothing makes a boating trip better than to have a cold one or two with your fishing buddies. If your cooler has suffered and failed after last summer, now could be the time to consider a COLEMAN 70 QT XTREME MARINE COOLER.

Many looking for a marine or fishing cooler get hung up on ice retention times. However, when it comes to a quality cooler that can hold up to regular uses in a harsh mating environment ice retention times should only be one deciding factor among many. We have outlined those below, but also realize that many are short on time and ultimately only care how long a cooler they are looking to purchase can hold ice. Therefore, we have included the results of our Ultimate Ice Challenge below. This ice challenge is our most sophisticated ice challenge to date as a result of what our over 1.1 million viewers have asked to see. The table below is sortable so you can value cooler based on price, ice retention, etc.

Why Choose a Marine Cooler?

Marine coolers are built to take the extreme conditions of boating. They are rust resistant, slip proof, and UV protected. They offer a lot more insulation than standard coolers as well. Some may even have a commercial grade gasket lid to keep the hot summer heat out. Many of them have rulers on the lid to help you measure out the fish you have caught. Best of all many are able to resist odors that fish can sometimes leave behind in other coolers.
How to Find the Best Marine Cooler


One thing you definitely want to know about before you buy a marine cooler is how long it is rated to hold ice for. You will want a cooler that holds ice for as long as you’ll need, whether it is a day or a week. Luckily for you, we have already conducted a myriad of tests and have ranked just about all coolers available (see table above).


Do you want a cooler stable and solid enough for you to sit on and use as an extra chair or casting platform? This could also be an important factor in your decision. This would mean nonskid and perhaps a high end roto molded plastic.
Higher End Boating Cooler Choices


Cost is also a big deciding factor for many people. Not everyone wants to spend hundreds of dollars for a cooler, even if it is worth it. The YETI Tundra is a high end extremely durable cooler. Tundra coolers are a premium priced cooler but, according to most Yeti coolers are well worth it. You can decide for yourself by reading the full review here. If you are not a YETI fan, the Pelican ProGear Elite cooler review can be found here. Either of these coolers are better than the average cooler, but perhaps more expensive than some want to invest. Refer back to the table above to gauge how these coolers stack up against each other in terms of ice retention times.